Foster City’s greatest nuisance: Canada geese. Well, at least that’s what the city’s latest endeavor seems to indicate.

On Aug. 4, Foster City greenlit a pilot program for its goose management plan. This comes after a previous iteration of the plan—where federal permits were acquired to kill 100 geese—was halted three years ago due to massive public backlash. 

The pilot program will cost an estimated $428,000 and aims to deter geese from frequenting seven parks that border the Foster City lagoon. If the program is deemed successful, the overall cost of the goose migration plan is projected at $1.2 million.

Advocates for the plan assert that geese are a nuisance to public spaces. According to city data, over 400 pounds of goose feces are dropped daily in Foster City parks, blocking paths and negatively impacting the lagoon’s water quality. Concerns of bird flu have also been raised.

The pilot program has three phases. The first: observation and surveillance. This phase, which started in October, entails goose tracking cameras placed in trees to monitor the avian’s population.

Phase two—deployed in early November—is tracking. Select birds will be banded around their feet and neck to track their movements. The goal of this phase is to gain a further understanding of where Foster City geese frequent.

Phase three begins full goose deterrence. Nonviolent and nonlethal bird deterrence strategies, including handheld lasers, tree-mounted speakers that play aviary calls, aerial drones, fogging, and a trained dog and handler, will be employed. Additionally, during nesting season egg addling—the rendering of eggs non-viable—is set to occur. The city council hopes these strategies will once and for all deter geese from frequenting Foster City.